Bad News Bears

I feel like this weekend's football game could have been taken straight from the 70s film The Bad News Bears - even if the movie is about baseball and not football. Suffice it to say it is a good thing we were playing a team that had little to no talent because watching the game was one of the most painful things that I have had to endure since last week's soccer practice.

For beginners we had no coach, and for a while it appeared we would not have any players. Wes stretched all four players who showed up for the pre-game warm-up. Then we had players show up in uniform that we had never seen before. When the rain fell, I was crouching under that friendly three foot bush that just last week failed to protect me from the scorching sun. It also failed at protecting me from the rain.

Once the game began, Evan missed a tackle that allowed the other team to score. When it came time for Keagan to run the ball, the QB mishandled the ball, the defense was able to grab Keagan's shirt, and Keagan dragged the other boy about five yards downfield. While on defense, Keagan went for a flag and a player on the offensive line put Keagan in a bear hug. To top it off, most-annoying-side-line-coaching father's son played QB.

After all that, would you believe that we actually managed to win?

So it was probably nothing like The Bad News Bears except the title. But bad it was.

Next game is Thursday night. Wes is prepared to coach. Evan is prepared to tackle. Keagan is prepared to loosen himself from any strong hugs, and I have the camera ready to record some magic.

Lord knows I didn't get any this weekend.

All About Abbigail

Wes began block leave on Tuesday afternoon, and on Wednesday, after a really long drive, his family arrived from Texas for a short visit. We had nine people living together in the same house.
Yep, nine.
I'll just be honest and say our house has never been so loud.
The highlight of their visit, in my opinion, was playing with our adorable niece Abbigail.

Gas Experiment

Mrs. Aspinwall invited me to join the class today for a science experiment.
It was hot. I was sweating, and one little girl asked, "Mrs. Toole, did a balloon explode in your face and leave baking soda all over it, or are you just sweatin'?"

I can add candid questions to the list of things I missed while teaching middle school. 

We Aren't Poor Anymore

Whining.
Tattling.
Inability to tie shoes.
Indecipherable code used instead of English.
Lack of mature and rational discussions.
Tattling.
Snotty noses.
More tattling.
All of the reasons why I said I would never teach elementary school again. I was so certain of this that five years ago I gave away all of my second and third grade language arts folders, my holiday units, my folder games, and even a few books from my library. In June, I gave my few remaining blocks, bulletin board pieces, and center activities to a new teacher that I thought would find better use of them than I would. After all, I am a middle school math teacher, a field that is always in demand. Guess what I will be teaching this year.

Guess what I wish I had.

I am not upset in the least, though, because I am just so grateful to finally have a job, and according to Evan this means "we aren't poor anymore." More importantly, it also means daily hugs, lots of laughs, joy, innocence, and getting to know a group of children almost as well as my own - all of the things that I missed while teaching middle school.

Going back to work in August never felt better.

Yard Crashers

I feel like we just lived through an episode of some landscaping project on the Do It Yourself Channel. We combined Wes's vision, my plant choices, and my parents' hard work to change this 

into this.

As happy as I have made Lowes this past week, I will never again try to build a patio with paver stones. Especially in August.

Our next project is this part of the backyard.

I am thinking hired help may be in order.

Jekyll Cup

Evan has learned some valuable lessons while playing with the Gators. This weekend he learned the art of losing, something he knows very little about while on the soccer field. Here's the rundown of the knowledge gained this weekend while playing in the Jekyll Cup.

1. You cannot play goalie when a teammate is already in the box playing goalie.
2. You cannot play both offense and defense at the same time. No matter how hard you try.
3. Some of your teammates play soccer to have fun and not necessarily to win.
4. Some girls play soccer as well as boys. They can also be just as physical.
5. Penalty kicks can make your heart stop for a split second, and they always make the ball move in slow motion.

I also learned a few valuable lessons.

1. I can never pack enough water and Gatorade for the family who must endure five or more hours sitting in the sun.
2. I can scream plays and "encourage" all I want and sometimes my son is stubborn enough to believe he can play offense and defense at the same time.
3. Four soccer games in one weekend is perhaps a bit overkill - even for me.
4. I scream louder when my son scores the first goal after losing the previous game 13 - 0.
5. I can eat my weight in mango flavored Italian ice when it feels like 112 degrees outside.
6. My younger son can entertain himself for hours climbing trees, making new friends with other siblings on the sidelines, and playing football games with imaginary players.

King Keagan is Six

He's funny. Fast. Affectionate. Smart. Athletic. And today Keagan is six years old. 

We celebrated Friday after school with a knight party at a castle. We made knight shields and princess crowns, played a few video games in the arcade room, and had lots of sword fights.